The only guide you’ll need on how to transit from Vancouver to Victoria

Don’t let this stop you from exploring our beautiful capital, Victoria, as you can easily get there by public transport! Visit Tourism Victoria’s website for everything the city has to offer.

In total, the drive from Vancouver to Victoria takes about four hours. So plan accordingly whether you want to take a day trip or spend a few days there. You travel with TransLink, BC Ferries and BC Transit, so there are three separate fares.

Checklist before you go

• $5 in coins for your BC Transit fare – $2.50 in coins to pay for the bus fare from the Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal to downtown Victoria and an additional $2.50 for the round trip. Alternatively, you can purchase a BC Transit DayPASS for $5, which gives you unlimited travel throughout the day on any route! All fare details can be found at bctransit.com/victoria.
• Your TransLink fare, which depends on how many zones you travel. You can easily estimate your fare on our website.

Drive through the transit to the ferry terminal

To get to the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal, you must take the 620 Tsawwassen Ferry Express bus from the Bridgeport train station. There are many ways to get to Bridgeport Station to take the 620, so we’ll cover the most common method: the SkyTrain Canada Line to Bridgeport Station from downtown Vancouver. But first, determine whether you’re starting your journey on a bus or at a SkyTrain station.

If you start your journey by bus before If you’re transferring to the SkyTrain to get to Bridgeport Station, we recommend paying with a Compass card or a Visa, Mastercard or American Express contactless card. If you pay cash, the bus transfer only works on other buses as it does not open the ticket offices at SkyTrain stations. Operators also do not carry change.

When you depart from the SkyTrain station, you have three options for paying your fare:

The benefit of a Compass card is that fares are discounted. So if you plan to travel a lot on public transport, we recommend getting a Compass card. They are available online at compasscard.ca, at Compass retailers, SkyTrain stations, SeaBus terminals, Tsawwassen and Horseshoe Bay ferry terminals, and select London drugstores in Vancouver.

Your transit fare includes transfers for up to 90 minutes. In other words, you don’t have to pay again when transferring from the SkyTrain to the 620 bus. Simply tap the same compass card, compass ticket or contactless credit card again to open the ticket counters for access to the SkyTrain station.

A few other things to keep in mind:

Once inside the SkyTrain station, follow the signs for the Richmond–Brighouse or YVR Airport trains (if traveling southbound) to find your platform. Both Richmond–Brighouse and YVR Airport bound trains will take you to Bridgeport Station.

Upon arrival, exit the train station and take the 620 bus from Bay 12. To find this bay, you will need to turn around after exiting the train station. Please pay attention to the floor markings and follow the arrows and lines to queue for the bus.

Travel time from Bridgeport Train Station to the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal is typically around 30-45 minutes and we plan our buses to match ferry schedules as closely as possible. However, please always allow for extra travel time as our buses are only as reliable as the road they travel on. Highway 99 and the George Massey Tunnel, which the 620 uses to get to the ferry terminal, are often congested, especially during rush hours.

Use our Trip Planner or Google Trip Planner on our website to make sure you get to the terminal of the ferry you want to catch on time. You can check the ferry schedules on the BC Ferries website. Don’t forget to allow time to walk from the bus station to inside the terminal to purchase your ferry ticket, and then time to walk to the berth to board the ferry.

At the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal

Once inside, go to the ticket counters or self-service counters to purchase your ferry ticket. They accept cash, credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, American Express), debit cards and BC Ferries Experience™ Card. Check out travel tips on the BC Ferries website.

Walk-in passengers can make complimentary reservations when traveling on routes connecting Metro Vancouver and Vancouver Island, as well as the Tsawwassen – Southern Gulf Islands route to avoid waiting. BC Ferries customers can also take advantage of Saver Fares, which can be booked on select off-peak sailings on many routes to reduce rush hour queues.

The ferry terminal is like an airport, so a berth is indicated on your ticket. Go to your berth to wait for boarding and be prepared to show your ticket to the staff when you make your way there.

At the Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal

Upon disembarking from the ferry, follow the exit and bus stop signs to catch the 70 Downtown or 72 Downtown buses.

While both buses will get you into downtown Victoria, the 70 bus operates as an express – meaning it doesn’t make as many stops between the terminal and downtown. Both bus routes will take you to Government and Superior Streets, near the Royal BC Museum and the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia.

If you’re planning a return trip on the same day, or plan to use BC Transit’s buses throughout the day, we recommend purchasing a DayPASS from the operator. The cost of a DayPASS is $5, which is the cash price of two adults. Once you have your DayPASS, the next time you ride the bus, “pay” by showing the front of the pass to the driver.

The one-way fare for the Victoria Regional Transit System, operated by BC Transit, is $2.50 cash for adults, seniors and youth. There are no transfers, which means buying a DayPASS is the best option, otherwise you’ll have to pay a new fare every time you board a bus.

Note that fare payment by Compass Card and contactless payment by Visa, Mastercard or American Express is only possible with the TransLink system.

Return to Vancouver

Ready to go home? Just do the reverse journey! The 70 and 72 buses depart from Government Street and Superior Street, or you can take them along Douglas Street. The journey usually takes about an hour to an hour and 30 minutes from there to the Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal.

Use NextRide on your computer and the public transport app on your mobile device to plan your journey and access real-time public transport information.

If we missed something, let us know in the comments!